The Grand Scheme of Things
by lil whit
Summary: After Naru broke her heart and left, Mai was sure she would never see him again. Six years later, she is proven wrong as he joins her and the rest of the SPR group on a case that could endanger the lives of both Mai and... her twins? Can Mai keep her distance? Will Naru figure out the truth too late? You'll just have to read to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or it's characters. They belong to Fuyumi Ono. I do, however, own the plot.

Chapter One: An Introduction

Mai Taniyama was having what one would call a frustrating start to her day. She had been up all night studying, and as a result was running late for work. This also meant that she wouldn't have time to drop the twins off at their teacher's. She had no choice but to take the twins to work with her and they were already in sour moods after being woken up so suddenly.

She guided her children down the streets as quickly as possible, holding both their hands firmly. As if to further prove that the world was against her, it started to rain. Mai picked the twins up before hurrying into the building where she worked. "Bou-san? Ayako?" she called out as she set her kids down and led them to the lounge area. The two sat on the couch and watched their mother silently.

Bou-san ran out to greet them. "Jou-chan! And do I see my adorable grandchildren?"

Mai rolled her eyes at the monk as Aki and Rei launched themselves at him. She smiled as she thought, 'Maybe it won't be such a bad day after all.'

"Hey, Monk, is Ayako in?" she asked.

Monk looked up from the twins. "Not yet. I let her sleep in this morning since we won't have a client til noon. I was thinking we could get breakfast."

Aki and Rei cheered at the prospect as Mai raised a brow. "But what if we get a phone call or miss a client?" she protested.

"C'mon, Jou-chan. That's what an answering machine is for. It's my treat!"

Mai sighed as she nodded. "At least let me make a sign for the door."

Soon the four were off to their favorite café, the rain having lessened up. As they neared the restaurant, Mai watched people as they passed. Time seemed to slow as her eyes caught a glimpse of dark hair and a pale face. She stood, frozen and gripped Aki closer to her as blue eyes met hers.

Mai's attention was suddenly brought to the twins, who had been calling for her.

"Kaa-san, kaa-san!" they chorused.

"What is it?" she asked the two in a trembling voice.

"Kaa-san's crying," Rei stated from Bou-san's arms.

Aki wiped at Mai's face, silent.

Mai wiped away the tears that Aki missed and explained, "Kaa-san's still sleepy. I'm alright."

Mai didn't miss the look that Bou-san shot her as they walked into the café where Ayako was waiting. Ayako took Rei and Aki to a table, not oblivious to the tension in Mai's face.

"What was that about, just now?" Bou-san asked as the two made their way slowly to the table.

"I think Naru's back in town," Mai answered, keeping her focus straight ahead. "And I'm pretty sure he just saw me," she added.

Bou-san crossed his arms over his chest. "What the _hell_ would he be doing here in Japan? I thought for sure he'd never come back! Is there any chance he knows about the twins?"

Mai shook her head. "Who would have told him? Lin and Madoka have no idea and none of us have talked to Oliver since I told you I was pregnant! So there's no way."

"Well, let's not worry about it just yet, okay? Maybe he's just here on business. I doubt we'll have to even see him while he's in town."

Mai could only nod as she sat down with Ayako and her kids, mind still on the encounter.

A/N: Sorry the first chapter is so short! This is something I've been thinking on for a while. Don't assume that this is your run-of-the-mill "Mai and Naru has kids" type fanfic. At least, I don't think it is, anyway. XD Hope you guys enjoy and as always, please read and review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I was worried about this chapter for a little while, mainly because the way I'd originally written it gave too much away at one time. XD But I think I did okay. :) Actually, before I could even concentrate of fixing this I was compelled to some lemony goodness that happens in later chapters. I don't usually write lemons but I believe you guys will like this. :D It's filled with Naru/Mai goodness. I should have the next chapter up within the next couple of days. Until then, read and review! 3

Chapter Two: A Client

A few hours later, Mai was back at the office filing paperwork and occasionally glancing over at the couch where the twins were napping. The door opened and Mai stood to greet the client she was expecting. "Good morning. Can I get you some tea, Mrs. Tsukinomori?"

The woman shook her head, so Mai led her back to Bou-san's office since Bou-san and Ayako were currently pumping other ex- SPR members about Naru's return. She sat behind the desk, gesturing for her client to sit as well.

"What seems to be the problem, Mrs. Tsukinomori?"

The woman across from Mai appeared to be in her late forties and had dark bags under her eyes. Her hair was in a sloppy bun and her clothes wrinkled. There was true fear in the woman's eyes and Mai had to wonder what had caused it.

"It's my house. I believe there are spirits there. My eldest son won't even come home anymore!"

Mai grabbed Mrs. Tsukinomori's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as she probed gently, "What kind of activity are you experiencing?"

"At first it was just doors opening and closing on their own, things being misplaced. I didn't even think there was a problem until the footsteps and voices. A-and about two months ago, things started getting worse. Guests would be pushed down the stairs and writing would appear on the walls. J-just last week, my son's girlfriend disappeared!" Mrs. Tsukinomori collapsed into tears.

Mai stood and handed the distraught woman a box of tissues before coming around the desk and rubbing the woman's back until she calmed down. Mai handed Mrs. Tsukinomori a piece of paper and pen explaining that she would need her name, number, and directions to the haunted house in question. She then asked to have three rooms ready.

As Mai followed her to the door, Mrs. Tsukinomori continuously thanked her. Mai was very relieved when she was gone. She turned and went to check on Rei and Aki who were in the middle of an argument, glaring at each other.

"What's going on here?" Mai demanded, trying not to smile. They looked so much like their father when they glared, it was funny. She felt her heart twinge a little but went to stand between the two.

Rei turned to his mother and pointed at Aki. "She stole my playing cards! Uncle gave them to me!"

Aki scowled. "I want to play with them! It's not fair!"

Mai watched her daughter closely. "Aki, did you ask your brother if you could play with them?"

Aki didn't answer, only held the cards tighter to her chest. "But Uncle loves me more. He said I look like tou-san."

Mai's eyes narrowed fractionally before she reached out for the cards. "Aki, you can't just take things from your brother. And besides, I happen to know that Uncle loves you both the same." Mai wasn't sure which uncle they were referring to, but once she did she was going to scold him for showing favor and mentioning their father. She wasn't ready to deal with what he'd left.

Aki handed her mother the cards, sticking her tongue out at Rei. Rei just continued to glare at his twin. At that moment, the bell signaling a customer went off. Mai handed Rei his cards and turned to greet whoever it was.

Mai froze as brown eyes met blue for the second time that day. She let her eyes travel from his eyes to his face. She took in every detail of him. He was taller than she remembered and still as handsome as ever, if not more. She forced herself to meet his gaze again.

Naru smirked. "I know I'm handsome but it doesn't mean you can stare."

Mai felt the greatest urge to throw something at him as a million different emotions flooded her. On one hand she wanted to throw herself at Naru and kiss him until he couldn't stand. On the other hand she wished desperately for something to throw at him, or maybe a sharp knife. She found herself lost in a daydream in which she was stabbing him multiple times for leaving her. Her eyes widened at the violent turn her thoughts had taken and shook her head. She couldn't ever do something so horrible!

She looked up in time to see Naru's calculating stare as a random kitchen knife embedded itself into the wall. "Oh, god damnit!" she cursed in English, mindful that her children were behind her.

"Kaa-san?" Rei asked, worry in his voice. Mai turned to the twins and forced a grin.

"I'm fine! Kaa-san was just surprised," she explained before making her way to the wall and pulling at the knife, which was very stuck.

Ayako and Bou-san walked in just in time to see Mai struggling with the knife. Bou-san fell to the ground laughing as he realized what must have happened. Ayako tsked before stating, "Let me guess: you poltergeisted again."

Mai scowled. "It's not funny, Monk! Come help me get this out of the wall!"

Naru cleared his throat. "Since when did you develop PK?" he asked.

Mai smiled a cheeky smile. "Wouldn't you like to know."

She was interrupted from making any other sarcastic remarks by Aki and Rei just about tackling her to the ground in excitement. "Kaa-san, kaa-san!" they chorused. "He looks like uncle!"

Mai frowned. Who could they mean? Unless- but Gene had moved on, hadn't he? Mai shrugged, deciding it best to figure out later and not in front of Naru. She pretended like she was thinking then replied, "Maybe uncle Yasu."

The twins gave her a pout and she picked them up into a hug. "You two are so adorable, I could just eat you up!" she exclaimed as she proceeded to kiss them all over their faces. They squealed and giggled in delight. Bou-san smiled before joining in the fun.

Ayako sweatdropped and walked over to her family saying, "Alright let's break this up. I'm sure our guest has something important to tell us."

Mai smiled conspiratorially at the twins before whispering, "We'd better do as baa-chan says before she gets scary! And before Mister Dark Overlord glares holes into us."

Bou-san snorted as Ayako glared at him and Mai. Ayako held her purse up threateningly. "What was that, Mai?"

Mai faked a shudder as she said, "We're getting up. Hold your horses."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry this chapter is soo short! I couldn't resist the dramatic ending. XD The next chappie should be tomorrow or the day after because I am really loving this fic. There are several interesting twists to come so be sure to read and review! 3

Chapter Three: Uneasy Sleep

Mai had made everyone tea and was currently sitting between Ayako and Bou-san on the couch. Aki and Rei sat in Mai's lap, asleep. Naru sat across from them on the loveseat. There was an almost awkward silence until Mai broke it, saying, "I think what everyone wants to know, Naru, is why you are back. I mean, it's been six years."

Naru took a sip of his tea before replying, "I came to re-open SPR. There isn't as much paranormal activity in England as I would like and here I can hide my identity."

Mai's jaw clenched as she thought, 'Of course he's only here for work. I guess there's no chance he realized what an idiot he is back in England.'

Ayako nudged Mai gently as if asking if she was okay. Mai smiled at the miko and nodded. Her heart was hurting, but Mai would make it. She sure as hell wasn't about to show any weakness in front of Naru.

Bou-san eyed Naru warily. "Then what brings you here, Naru? Surely, you did your research before coming to find us."

Naru set his cup on the coffee table, already finished with his tea. "I was hoping to merge businesses. I realize you have been doing well on your own but I don't think I could find a team as skilled as you. I would much rather see everyone together again than to go through the trouble of finding others. Brown-san and Hara-san refused to come back if you three didn't."

Mai gasped dramatically and looked over at Bou-san. "You hear that, tou-san? Naru actually paid us a compliment!"

Bou-san chuckled. At the look on Naru's face, he explained, "Ayako and I adopted Mai after she got pregnant. The government wasn't looking too kindly on a pregnant teen orphan."

Mai beamed at the Monk. "I'd like to think you that you enjoy having me as a daughter. I mean, I gave you two wonderful, adorable, well-behaved grandkids to spoil," she teased.

Monk rolled his eyes. "You nearly sent me to an early grave when you told me I was going to be a grandfather."

Mai just looked down at her twins, grin on her face. She moved Aki's hair from her face before looking at both Ayako and Bou-san. "You both took things better than I thought you would. I thought for sure I was dead."

Ayako grabbed Mai's shoulder, careful not to disturb the children, and explained, "I don't blame you for what happened. I blame the twin's bastard of a sperm donor."

Mai was taken aback by the murderous gleam in the Miko's eyes. "Ayako!" she cried out. "I was to blame for that. Now quit talking about it; I've already forgiven him."

Monk cleared his throat and inserted, "This is hardly the time for this talk. Naru came to us with an important question. Personally, I don't care whether or not we go back to SPR. I'm leaving that decision to you, Jou-chan."

Ayako made a noise of approval and everyone's eyes were suddenly on Mai.

Mai's eyes widened. "Um, please give me some time to think about it." She turned to Naru and added, "We just took a case and you left. I need to figure out if I can handle working for you again."

An unreadable expression passed over Naru's face. Before he could say anything, however, Aki and Rei woke screaming and crying hysterically.

Mai held them close and murmured, "Shhh, you're alright now. Kaa-san's here."

Rei threw his arms around her and sobbed, "D-don't take t-this c-case, kaa-san! You can't!"

Mai rubbed his back soothingly and turned to Aki. "Why not? What's wrong, you two?"

Aki, who was desperately trying to hide her tears, spoke up, "K-kaa-san, you'll die."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: The Insanity Begins

A heavy silence enveloped the office. Mai spoke first. "What makes you say that, sweetie?"

Rei looked up, tears still streaming down his cheeks. "Uncle showed us in our dream," he sniffled.

Mai felt her heart freeze. By uncle, did he mean Gene? And, if so, why had he shown them something so gruesome? Mai snuck a glance at Naru, whose eyes were narrowed in suspicion. She pulled her kids closer to her and said, "Well, Uncle must be crazy because I'd never leave you with only baa-chan and bou-chan."

Aki had managed to stop crying but pulled away from her mother and cried out, "But Uncle said you'd DIE without tou-san there!"

Mai blinked. She then brought Aki close and murmured, "My, what an outburst. You must be worried. I know for a fact that your uncle doesn't know what he's talking about. And if it makes you feel better, we'll be extra careful."

Naru watched as Mai comforted her children and felt a pang of regret. She was even more beautiful as a mother. Maybe if he'd stayed she'd be calming _his_ children now. He scolded himself inwardly and focused on the appearance of the twin's "uncle". He suspected it was Gene; however, why wasn't Gene at rest? Naru had so many questions…. The only way to answer them would be to stay close to Mai. If he were to come along on the case, he could keep Mai safe _and_ satisfy his curiosity. His mind made up, Naru cleared his throat and asked, "When do you leave for this case?"

Mai narrowed her eyes. "Two days. Why?"

Naru smirked and explained, "Lin and I will be picking you up at 6 in the morning. Be ready."

Mai- remembering to switch to English- demanded, "Who said you could come along, Oliver?"

Naru scowled at the use of his proper name. "Mai, this is an obviously dangerous case judging by the nature of the twin's dream. You'll need more than your normal team to handle it."

Mai glared, furious. "But-!"

"I'd feel much better if Naru and Lin came with us," Bou-san cut in before Mai could further protest.

Ayako and Mai turned their glares on the monk.

Bou-san sighed. "I'm not agreeing with Naru to be mean or undermine your independent nature it's just that despite how great of an investigator you are, you attract spirits like no tomorrow. Not only that, but you have to own up and be responsible," he said, gesturing at Rei and Aki.

Mai caught the double meaning to his words. Bou was telling her to, in a sense, confess to Naru that the twins were his as well. Mai's heart wrenched at the thought. Naru could reject her all he wanted, but how could she explain it to Aki and Rei if he rejected them as well. Naru needed to know, though and so did his parents. This was going to be her toughest case for more than one reason. She could feel a headache coming on as she muttered, "Fine. Just don't expect me to make tea every five minutes."

Mai stood and gathered the empty cups. She needed to keep busy so her mind wouldn't wander to the narcissist sitting calmly across from her children; _their_ children. Not that it seemed he had noticed, as neither had exhibited even half of the powers they possessed. She made a mental note to ask Lin to train them since he was back. She looked back at her children before heading into the kitchen. Rei had fallen asleep again and Aki was having a staring contest with Naru. Mai giggled, which seemed to break Aki's focus.

Aki jumped up and walked as dignified as she could to her mother. "Can I help?"

Mai grinned. "Of course! I love it when you help!"

A few moments after Mai and Aki walked into the kitchen, they could hear Mai screech, "HE WHAT?"

There was the sound of breaking china and Aki exclaiming, "Kaa-san!"

Bou-san put his head in his hands. "What now?"

Ayako ran to the kitchen. Aki was standing in front of Mai, who was on the floor head in her hands. She looked like she was about to scream again so Ayako turned back to Aki and said, "How about you convince Bou-chan and Rei to go get lunch for us?"

Aki nodded before casting a worried glance at her mom and leaving the kitchen.

"Mai?" Ayako questioned, placing a hand on the disgruntled mother's shoulder.

"Apparently, Uncle Gene told Aki and Rei that Noll was their tou-san. I don't know which Davis twin to be angrier at right now," Mai hissed.

"Mai, please calm down. The children are still here," Ayako said as she rubbed her adopted daughter's back. "Besides, you're going to have to tell _that man_ sometime."

Mai's shoulders slumped. "I know, Ayako. I just- I'm so afraid of what his reaction will be. What would I tell Aki and Rei? I don't think I could stand it if…" Mai trailed, tears coming to her eyes.

Ayako brought Mai into a hug. "Everything will work out somehow. You've made it this far. I'm proud of you for sticking this through. Now, how about you go home early and relax. Bou-san and I will take the twins and placate Naru for now, okay?" the miko soothed.

Mai nodded, resisting the urge to cry. "O-okay."

Ayako helped her up and into the lounge. She bowed to Naru then turned to Takigawa. "How about you take the twins to lunch? I'm taking Mai home."

Monk nodded and turned to the twins. Rei, who had woken up in all the commotion, ran to Mai and wrapped himself around her legs. He hadn't said a word but Mai understood. She knelt down as she untangled him from her legs. "Kaa-san's tired. I stayed up too late last night so I'm going to take a nap. You guys get to have fun with baa-chan and bou-chan today."

"What about tou-san?" he whispered.

Mai frowned. "Naru-chan has some important things to do, I'm sure." She would need to have a word with Gene later.

Naru, fortunately, hadn't heard what was said but stood and walked towards Mai, Rei, and Ayako. "Do you mind if I accompany you, Matsuzaki-san?" He was concerned about Mai, as she seemed to be swaying slightly.

Mai scowled but nodded at Ayako. If it would keep him from the twins and kept him from finding out too much in her absence, she'd bear with it. He was the last person she wanted to see at the moment, however. Mai kissed Rei and Aki on the forehead and then started for the door, Ayako and Naru right behind her.

Soon Mai was left alone at her home. She plopped onto the couch and lay there until the darkness overtook her. When she opened her eyes, she was on the dream plane.

_She scowled as a familiar figure walked towards her. "Eugene Davis! You have a lot to explain!" Mai greeted._

_ "Nice to see you, too, Mai."_


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Yay! I finally get to update! I meant to a few days ago, but life likes to get in the way of such things sometimes. Or noisy roommates. XD Anyway, for those who have followed my Ghost Hunt fictions and remember me mentioning my niece, thank you so much for the thoughts and prayers sent her way. She is finally home (of course she still has to go to St. Jude's about once or twice a month to check on things) and she's doing so much better! So, again, thanks for the concern and the nice messages about her. Thanks as well for the reviews for this so far! :D It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when I get one. Keep reading and telling me what ya think! 3

Chapter Five: Naru's Curiosity

_Mai glared at the kinder Davis twin. "You had no right!" she yelled._

_ Gene walked closer and enveloped the troubled mother into a hug. "I'm sorry. The twins were asking and I was doing my best to try and comfort them," he explained._

_ Mai pushed him away. "That's another thing I'm pissed at you for! Why the hell would you show them my __**death**__ or even lead them to believe I would die? They're only __**six**__, Eugene! Six! Do you know how many death dreams they've had already?"_

_ Gene hung his head for a moment before looking back up at Mai. "You don't know how many of those dreams I wanted to interrupt, but couldn't. In fact, I wasn't able to do more than watch until recently. I think Noll's return has something to do with it."_

_ Mai scowled. "That doesn't make me any less pissed. I don't want my children to have any reason to believe I'll leave them. They've already been without a father; I couldn't do that to them."_

_ It was Gene's turn to scowl. "Then why are you still going on this case? I thought they warned you."_

_ Mai narrowed her eyes. "Then you should have come straight to __**me**__ with that warning, huh?"_

_ Gene sighed. "I just thought that you might listen to your children better than you would me."_

_ Mai allowed herself to sink to her knees as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Why was it always her that got caught up in situations like these? She agreed with Bou-san; she was truly a magnet for trouble of all kinds. "What can I do to prevent my own death? And I swear to God, Gene, if you tell me NOT to go I might just have you exorcised."_

_ Gene frowned. "I suppose that Naru's presence will lessen the danger. Just don't go anywhere alone on this case. And keep the twins away from your client; there's something about her that I don't like."_

_ It was Mai's turn to frown. "That wasn't cryptic as always. Anyway, no need to show me my own death. I'd rather the kids not have any more chances to hear me scream. I just need to figure out what to tell Noll if the twins call him "tou-san" to his face."_

_ Gene smirked. "The truth, maybe?"_

_ In one fluid motion Mai stood and lunged at Gene. She slapped the spirit hard across the cheek. "Don't you dare, Eugene! Don't you dare insinuate that I wasn't going to tell him! I want to tell Noll on my own terms! I believe I have that right since __**he**__ was the one who left __**me**__ in that hotel room!" Mai snarled._

_ Gene's expression turned apologetic as Mai collapsed into tears._

_ "I don't even know if I can hold it together for much longer," she wailed._

_ Gene brought Mai into his arms and held her as she cried._

_ Once Mai calmed down, she pulled away. "I'm sorry," she muttered._

_ Gene ruffled her hair affectionately. "That should be my line. I should have realized how much stress you were under; it was wrong of me to tell the twins anything and I should have come to you with my concerns."_

_ Mai was about to tell Gene he was forgiven when a sudden jolt from her shoulder rippled through her body. She looked around, puzzled. "What was that?"_

_ Gene smiled. "Seems as if you're being called back," he explained._

_ Mai nearly panicked as Gene turned. She'd nearly forgotten to ask… "Wait! Why haven't you moved on, Gene?"_

_ Gene gave Mai a cheeky grin. "Unfinished business, of course!"_

…

While Mai had been visited by Gene, Naru had been busy questioning Monk and Ayako. He had followed Ayako to the café where she was meeting Monk and the kids, despite her best attempts to get rid of him.

She sighed at the monk's raised eyebrow when she entered the restaurant, Naru following. "He won't leave," she hissed as she took her seat beside Aki.

Naru sat beside Rei and across from Monk and was watching everyone closely.

"What do you want, Naru? We're trying to have a family meal here," Bou-san finally asked.

"I have a few questions about the case. Can you tell me where it is?"

Bou-san searched his pockets until he found the scrap of paper Mai had left on his desk. He handed it to Naru in the hopes of the narcissist leaving.

His hopes were killed as Naru took the paper before clearing his throat. "Has Mai had any dreams of this case or has it only been the twins?"

Ayako visibly twitched. She wanted to strangle the man closest her so badly, she could almost just… but she remembered that Aki was beside her and held it in. "Mai would have said something earlier if she had dreamed of it," the miko ground out.

Naru held his chin, deep in thought. "So then does Mai even still dream?"

"Of course she still dreams! You wouldn't know because you left!" Ayako snapped.

Bou-san moved his seat next to Ayako- still very aware if the twins- and grabbed her hand. "Ayako," he warned.

Naru was intrigued. Perhaps he could get more information with the miko so riled up. "Do all the dreams pertain to a case or are they sometimes random?"

Bou-san eyed Naru warily. "There's only one dream she's had that hasn't had to do with a case. That was months ago, though so I don't think it's anything of importance."

Ayako eyed the table as she tried to fight back a shudder. That dream in particular had been recurrent and for nights on end Mai would wake up screaming and choking. And it wasn't just Mai; the twins would dream it too. She was so grateful that the dream faded and finally stopped coming all together.

Naru, noting the miko's reaction, asked, "What kind of dream?"

Bou-san and Ayako glanced at each other, uneasy. Bou-san glanced at the twins to make sure they weren't paying attention before murmuring, "It was a death dream. In it she drowned. We aren't even entirely sure why she and the twins saw it, but it faded after a few months and they haven't had it since."

Naru raised an eyebrow. "The twins and Mai shared the same dream?"

"They sometimes share dreams. It's usually the more terrifying dreams. We think it has something to do with the three having some kind of psychic connection."

Naru eyed the twins. "What other abilities do they possess?"

Ayako had just about reached her limit. "Why does it matter to you?" she snarled as she stood.

Bou-san eased his wife back to her seat. "Calm down, dear. No need to make a scene." He then turned back to Naru. "Why do you want to know?"

Naru ran a hand through his hair. Why did he want to know? Did it have to do with the fact that Rei and Aki were twins or was there something else? To Bou-san's questioned he answered, "I'm merely curious. It isn't everyday one comes across psychic twins."

Bou-san narrowed his eyes but said, "When Mai was pregnant her powers sort of expanded."

Naru nodded. This was common among pregnant psychics. Usually the woman would either lose her abilities, or gain a new ability.

"She gained PK and her instinct was sharper. In fact, she would usually know when a client was coming in, even if they hadn't scheduled an appointment. She would just… know things. So I suppose it isn't strange that Rei and Aki can do the same. Aki is more of a medium, and Rei seems to be more wired for PK; although they do often have the same dreams."

Naru watched as Rei and Aki were having a staring contest. It seemed that Mai and her children did, in fact, hold a psychic connection but he wondered how deep that connection was. Could they communicate the way he and Gene once had?

Ayako stood and announced, "We should probably get back home; if Mai wakes up and doesn't know where the twins are she'll have a fit." This was a lie, but Ayako couldn't let the conversation continue. Mai would kill her if Naru found out the truth.

Bou-san stood as well, catching on. "Alright. Aki, Rei, let's get back to kaa-san, okay?"

Rei, normally the quiet one of the twins, said, "But we can't wake Kaa-san up!"

Aki elbowed her brother before adding, "She said she didn't sleep well last night." She knew her mother would be mad if they mentioned she was currently talking to Uncle.

Naru stood as well before announcing, "I'll come too. I need to talk to Mai when she eventually wakes up."

Ayako scowled as she grabbed the twins by the hands and stomped away.

Monk scratched the back of his head as he said to Naru, "I think we need to talk about your manners, man."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I apologize for taking so long to update. If it's not one thing it's another it seems. At any rate, thank you guys so much for sticking it out. To make up for it, I'll try to have the next chapter up tomorrow night at the latest. And for all of you who were concerned about my niece, thank you. She's one year post transplant and may get to meet her donor soon! So far everything's been going well and at last check she is 100% donor which is great. :)

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed; it's always great to get feedback. So without any further ado, please enjoy! 3

Chapter Six: Admissions

When Mai opened her eyes, she jumped back, turning red. Naru's face had been mere inches from her own. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before muttering, "You Davis twins are **trying** to kill me."

Naru sat himself beside her before gesturing for her to explain.

Mai sighed before saying, "I had a few words with Gene. Apparently he never moved on as we once thought. He said he's been watching the twins struggle but has never been able to actually interfere until now." Mai's expression turned dark as she added, "And he's given me strict orders to stick around you and not go anywhere alone for this case; as if you were going to let me anyway. Oh! And he doesn't want the twins around our client. There's something…. _off_ about her."

Naru held his chin in his hand, mulling over her words. He finally couldn't stop himself as he asked, "Did Gene happen to tell you why he's not crossed over?"

Mai scowled. "He gave me a cheeky grin and mentioned 'unfinished business'."

Naru glared at the wall. He would have to deal with Gene after this case. How could the idiot just stick around? Surely, he knew what could become of himself?

Mai looked around the living room as a silence settled in. She could see that it was dark outside and wondered how long she'd been asleep. And then something occurred to her. "Where are Aki and Rei? What time is it? And why are you here?"

Naru smirked. "Rei and Aki are sleeping. As for the time, it's three in the morning," he answered, purposely avoiding the last of Mai's questions.

"Shit! I bet tou-san and kaa-san had a rough time getting the twins to sleep. It's weird, though that they'd leave you here by yourself," Mai thought aloud. She wondered briefly if the twins had said anything weird while in Naru's presence.

"The twins went to bed without protest. They're smarter than the average child."

Mai's eyes widened in shock before narrowing. "And just **how** would you know that?"

Naru smirked. It seemed that Mai was very protective of her children. "Because they insisted that I read to them from one of my own books on parapsychology."

Mai sweatdropped. She really didn't have normal children. That was only to be expected, but still; it would have been adorable if they had asked to be read something a little closer to their age group. "They can't help but love the paranormal. I mean, how can they not when their mother is a ghost hunter?" she stated. 'And their father is a famous parapsychological researcher,' she added mentally.

Naru simply watched as Mai stared off into the distance wistfully. She seemed to snap out of it a moment later and asked, "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes."

Mai grinned at the response. It seemed as if he hadn't changed at all. She then felt a frown tugging at her lips. If he hadn't changed, then would he move back to England once he found out the truth? She shook the thought out of her head. No, this was Naru; he was more responsible than that, right? As soon as the tea was ready she brought it back to the living room to see Naru browsing the bookcase.

She couldn't help the surge of pride that went through her at Naru's shock. "Is this what the twins read?" he asked.

Mai smirked. "Only when I'm not reading them. It's good for me to learn all that I can about my field."

Naru absorbed all that Mai said. It seemed that since he'd left, she had decided to learn as much as she could. Oh how Martin would love this family. Apparently he had said this aloud as Mai asked, "Martin? Your father?"

Naru nodded.

Mai jumped at what she saw as a chance to know more about Naru's family and questioned, "What are your parents like?"

Naru sighed as he sat down. "Why would you want to know?"

Mai smiled. "It'd be nice to know the people who raised you. Besides, I'm rather curious at how they put up with a narcissist like you," she teased.

Naru shrugged. "Martin is a parapsychologist at BSPR and is also a professor at Cambridge. He is dedicated to work. Luella is a psychologist and absolutely wants nothing to do with the paranormal."

Mai gaped. "Then why is she married to a parapsychologist?"

"I believe her distaste for the paranormal came after she married father."

Mai giggled. She could imagine that both Naru and Martin had driven her crazy with ghosts. Gene was relatively normal it seemed and had been sociable so of course he had to have been the only other sane person in the house. "So then Martin really would love the twins. The paranormal is all they know. Oh god, it will take Ayako and I both to try and get Aki to do anything non-ghost related."

Naru raised a brow. "And Rei?"

Mai smiled. "He's not as obsessed as his sister. He actually likes to act like a six year old sometimes." She sipped at her tea, relishing the flavor.

Naru watched as Mai seemed to be remembering something. Before he could ask about it, the twins walked into the room rubbing their eyes.

"Kaa-san?" Rei asked. Aki pulled him along and the two climbed into her lap.

Mai smiled softly. "Now what could have woken you up this early in the morning? Hmm?"

"Uncle said you were awake," Aki explained.

Mai hugged her children closely. "You two didn't miss me, did you?" she teased.

Aki crossed her arms in a haughty manner. "**I **wasn't the one who was worried. That was Rei."

Mai chuckled. She knew that Aki was only putting up a mask. She was so much like her father. "Now what is it going to take to get the two of you to go back to sleep?"

"Will you sleep with us tonight, kaa-san?" Rei asked quietly.

Without a doubt, Mai knew then just how worried the two had been and still were. She brought her children close to her and replied, "I will. Now let's go to bed!"


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: This chapter took me a lot longer than I wanted it to because I kept feeling like I needed to add more and more. I finally managed to convince myself that I shouldn't dump everything about Mai and Naru's night of fun into this one chapter. Besides, there's more to that night than even Mai realizes, herself. At any rate, I apologize that it took so long; especially since I told you guys I'd have it updated a few nights ago. I've also decided that I need to find a beta reader as I feel like there is still a lot that can be improved. After Lin's reaction, I'll be getting straight to the case. Please review and tell me what you think!

Chapter Seven: Of Aprons and Breakfast

Mai sighed in exasperation as she once again found herself on the Spirit Plane. _"Seriously?" she called out. There was no answer and no sign of Gene. Soon she was floating above what looked like a hotel room. She looked around and froze as she noticed clothes sprawled out on the floor. As if someone had suddenly turned on a stereo, noises started around her. "Oh god, I do not want to watch someone having sex!" she fumed. It was then that she dared a glance at the bed._

_ Mai stared. She was now standing on the floor at the end of the bed. "Why the bloody hell am I watching my own memory? And this one, too?" she shrieked._

_ "Naru!" she heard her younger self gasp out. _

_ Mai could feel her cheeks burning. She trained her eyes on the wall, the floor, anything but the bed. She tried putting her hands over her ears to block out the noise but she could still hear every moan, every intake of breath. And then she was all of a sudden trapped in her younger self's body looking into Naru's impenetrable gaze. _

Mai shot up, feeling as if she were on fire. She buried her face in her hands. "How can I even look at him, now?" she muttered, panicked. 'Why did I even dream of that to begin with?!'

She was pulled out of her thoughts by Rei and Aki suddenly running into the room. Both jumped onto the bed, each grabbing an arm. "Kaa-san! Kaa-san!"

Aki leaned as close to her mother as she could before mumbling, "Tou-san is making breakfast."

Mai could almost feel her brain short circuiting and all other thoughts were gone. "The Narcissistic Naru is making breakfast. In my house. I need my phone. Aya- no, Masako would understand this better, I think."

Aki and Rei glanced at each other before pulling their mother off of the bed. "Come on, Kaa-san!"

Mai allowed her children to drag her to the kitchen. They let go of her and started to set the table. Mai used the door frame to support her as she took in the sight of Naru in front of the stove, spatula in hand. She looked from him, to her children and allowed a small smile to light her features. It seemed like a perfect family scene. She felt a pang at the thought. She watched as Naru turned slightly revealing the apron around his waist. Mai tried desperately not to laugh but quickly lost the battle. She sank to her knees, unable to support herself she was laughing so much.

Soon Naru was standing over her, spatula in hand. "I don't understand what you seem to find so funny, Mai."

Mai pointed a shaking finger at him. "Wh- what made you decide to wear _that_?!" she choked out.

Naru glared. "What else is an apron used for? Or are you that idiotic?"

Mai made a valiant attempt to stop laughing as she explained, "Even _I _don't wear that. It was a gag gift from Yasu."

Naru looked away, trying to keep his cool. "It was the only one that Aki could find."

Mai glanced at Aki who had smug look on her face. Rei was giggling beside her. "I can't even pretend to scold you," Mai stated, huge grin on her face as she stood.

Naru had a slightly stunned look on his face before turning back to the task at hand so as to keep calm. 'She is just a child,' he thought.

Mai giggled to herself as she got out the tea kettle and a few cups. She laid them on the counter so that she could make tea for everyone when Naru was finished with the stove.

"It's ready," Naru stated as he brought the skillets to the table. Mai sat down eyeing the food for a moment.

"It looks fantastic, Naru!" she complimented before piling first Aki and then Rei's plates with food before tending to her own.

Naru smirked. "You sound so surprised. I did have to live by myself for a while."

"Oh, I know. I just figured you were either eating out all the time or living off of your precious tea."

The table was silent for a few moments as the occupants started eating. Rei and Aki were staring at each other while Mai concentrated on her food. She would find out soon enough what the two were up to so she wasn't particularly worried.

"So did you have any dreams?" Naru asked.

Mai felt her whole body flush as she answered, "N-not really." She had the greatest urge to run from the kitchen. She could feel Naru glaring at her and she hurried to finish her breakfast. She needed an escape plan.

"But you did dream, judging by the look on your face. What was it about? Maybe it was something pertinent to the case and you're just undermining your abilities," Naru pressed.

Mai choked, having just taken her last bite of eggs. Once she stopped coughing, she replied, "I assure you, it was nothing! Nothing important anyway. Just a memory." She then stood and took her plate to the sink. She could feel Naru watching her as she tried to calm down. 'Come on, Mai, get it together! He can't possibly guess that you dreamed of him!' she thought. She tried to busy herself with making tea.

Rei was the one who came to her rescue asking, "Kaa-san? Why did Uncle Lin send one of his shiki to watch Naru-san?"

Mai chuckled at Naru's expression, before replying, "If Uncle Gene answered that much for you, then why didn't he explain it for you?"

"He didn't want you to yell at him again," Aki spoke up.

Mai smirked. "Good. To answer your question, Uncle Lin always keeps at least one shiki watching over Naru for protection. I hope you two weren't trying to bother it."

Aki scowled. "Rei tried to pet it."

Mai turned her gaze back to Rei and waited for an explanation. Her son kept his eyes on the table, looking ashamed. When he wouldn't speak, Mai turned her gaze on the shiki in question. She instantly understood and turned back to her son. "Rei, even if a spirit or shiki takes on an animal form it doesn't mean that it's not dangerous. In my experience, fox spirits aren't usually pleasant."

Rei mumbled an apology and the shiki circled around Naru agitated. Mai chuckled and followed the shiki with her eyes. "Gomen, I meant no disrespect." This seemed to please the shiki and it settled above Naru's head.

Naru watched Mai with narrowed eyes. Had she always been able to see Lin's shiki? And Rei was able to see it as well… Not only that, but it seemed as if Mai had been able to communicate with it. The abilities in which Mai's family was displaying was fascinating and alarming at the same time. He watched Mai closely as she finished making the tea and poured several cups. "Mai, unless there are two other people present you made too many cups of tea. Or are Matsuzaki and Takigawa coming over?"

Mai smiled brightly. "No, they're busy with the office I'm sure. I think Lin-san is bringing someone."

Naru's eyes narrowed. "And how do you know this? Even I haven't talked to him today and I wasn't aware that you had his phone number."

Mai sighed. "I just know, Naru. It's not something that can be explained." She turned to Aki and Rei, both of whom had finished their breakfast and continued, "That being said, Rei, Aki, bring me your plates and go wash up. Uncle Lin should be here in a few minutes." She brought Naru his tea and started clearing the table, trying not to worry about Lin's reaction to the twins. While Oliver Davis may not have noticed the family resemblance, Lin was a sharp man and would probably realize it the moment he saw them. She bit her lip. How was she supposed to keep him from blurting anything out? And what about this person he was bringing with him? She was fairly certain that it was Madoka and Madoka Mori was not known for keeping her mouth shut. In fact, the woman was as relentless as Yasuhara and twice as mischievous.

"Mai, that dish is as clean as it's going to get," Naru stated, condescending tone in place. In truth, Naru was somewhat worried about the young mother as her expressions had only turned more morose as the minutes passed by. What could she possibly have been thinking about to depress her that much? Was she worried about Lin's reaction to the fact that she had children? But why? Was it possible that she was worried he would fault her for the father not being around? Naru almost snorted. It was a ridiculous notion, but this was Mai, after all. It was so like her to be worried about such a trivial thing.

Mai finished up with the dishes and turned back to Naru, frown still in place. What was she going to do? She heard Naru sigh and sent him a questioning look.

"You worry too much about what others think of you, Mai. I assure you that it won't matter to Lin where the father of your children is," Naru explained.

Mai's eyes went wide. Was Naru trying to comfort her? Her smile at the idea faded as she realized what he meant. Did he really have no idea? Not even an inkling of a thought that he could be the father of their children? She scowled. "Idiot scientist," she seethed quietly. Upon seeing Naru's perplexed expression she sighed. "I'd better get the door. I can sense Lin's presence getting closer."

Naru stared after her, puzzled. What had he done to anger her? He was only trying to reassure her! His thoughts were broken by Mai crying out, "Lin-san, Madoka-san! It's so great to see you! Come in!"


End file.
